The group will examine Isaac as the storm becomes a hurricane, predicted to hit the western portion of Florida

As Tropical Storm Isaac moves toward the west coast of Florida for a predicted Monday landfall, the Texas Tech Hurricane Research Team has mounted up and headed in that direction, too.

The team will deploy StickNet probes to gather data from the storm.

John Schroeder, professor of atmospheric science at Texas Tech, is a charter member and director of the team. He is an expert on how hurricanes interact with human built environment at landfall, and he has actively intercepted hurricanes since 1998.

“Our hurricane research team is dedicated to mitigating the effects of land-falling hurricanes on life and property,” Schroeder said. “To that end, we deploy instrumented towers that gather high-resolution storm data at a time when most conventional observation systems fail.”

Once the instruments are set, team members head for safety until the storm passes.

“We try to place everything and get out of the way before the wind gets much above tropical storm force (39 mph),” he said. “Any later, and things start falling, like tree branches, power lines and other debris, which increases the danger and limits the team’s mobility.”

The team has a FaceBook page, on which members say they’ll likely arrive in Panama City, Fla. soon.

As the West Texas team traveled Saturday, Tropical Storm Isaac pushed over Cuba after sweeping across Haiti’s southern peninsula, where it caused flooding and at least four deaths.

Issac’s center made landfall just before midday near the far-eastern tip of Cuba, downing trees and power lines. In Baracoa, the storm surge flooded the seaside Malecon and a block inland, destroying two homes.

Isaac poses a threat to Florida on Monday and Tuesday, just as the Republican Party gathers for its national convention in Tampa, forecasters said.

Isaac could hit the Florida Panhandle as a Category 2 hurricane with winds of nearly 100 mph.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency, officials urged vacationers to leave the Florida Keys and the U.S. National Hurricane Center said a hurricane warning was in effect there, as well as for the west coast of Florida from Bonita Beach south to Ocean Reef and for Florida Bay.

At least four people were reported dead in Haiti, including a 10-year-old girl who had a wall fall on her, according to the country’s Civil Protection Office.

There were no immediate details on how the others died.

The Haitian government also reported two injuries; “considerable damage” to agriculture and homes; nearly 8,000 people who were evacuated from their houses or quake shelters; and more than 4,000 who were taken to temporary shelters.